Pygmalion
by Lavender Kiss
Summary: Elsa's power is more than just command over snow and ice; it's beauty, it's life. This is especially true when she lets herself feel joy and love. Long ago she met a boy that taught her this and, without meaning to, took it all away in one instant before she realized what it all meant. Jelsa...sort of. More like pre-Jelsa.


**Note: So this story idea came to mind the other day and it wouldn't leave me alone. I went to sleep and it was still there in the morning so obviously I sat my butt down and wrote it (because it was just too good to pass up). I hope you enjoy.  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Rise of the Guardians or Frozen; they belong to Dreamworks and Disney respectfully.**

Pygmalion

Voiceless voices echoed hollowly through the empty stairwells and corridors of Queen Elsa's lonely ice palace. She sat in her throne, a frown on her face as she gazed up at the beautifully formed crystal chandelier, at the intricate design of snowflakes etched in the walls.

She was lonely.

She missed her sister. She wished…she could see her again.

But no. That was impossible. Her sister was in Arendelle now, ruling along side Prince Hans. Happy. Safe. Away from her.

She remembered when Anna had come to her, asking her to come back home with her. To reverse the eternal winter she had set off without realizing. How her fear had surged unexpectedly like a storm and how, for a moment, she thought she'd struck her sister in the heart with her magic.

She would have never lived with herself if that had happened. At that instant, she had wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her. But the moment had been broken as soon as that mountain man had come in and then she'd set her snow guardian on them. Alone, she'd needed to be alone so she could calm down.

She didn't want to hurt them.

Gently sweeping her braid back, she stood and began to walk to her balcony. Her heels clicked loudly in the empty space and the doors dragged open. The sunlight filtered in, warming her face and the tears pooling around her eyes. She'd never realized what true loneliness was. Back in the castle, she took comfort in Anna's constant knocking, in Anna's laughter, in the soft chatter of the servants and the noises of the town. Here, all alone in the deserted mountain, there was only the sound of the wind and the howling of the wolves. She was truly alone here.

Distraction. She needed to find something to distract her and take her mind away from all these horrible thoughts. All these regrets that she couldn't afford to regret. She covered her face and turned her back away from the morning light.

Hurrying back inside her castle, she made her way to one of the hundred of empty rooms where an ice sculpture of a boy stood, born of her mind. It didn't have a face. She didn't know why it was here. Maybe it was because she'd just lost everything, maybe because she needed to occupy herself with something, or maybe it was because she'd finally let herself use her powers without restrain.

Whatever the reason, the overall shape had been formed at the same time she'd constructed her ice palace, she had just refused to do anything about it. Until now.

Maybe if she built it, this yearning would go away.

**oOo**

Many nights, going all the way back to her childhood, she dreamed about a long forgotten memory. One she'd buried so deep within her, she hadn't even known it was there.

**oOo**

When Elsa has been ten, she'd run away from home. It had been a decision made of pure desperation and fear. Two years had gone by since the accident with her sister and she'd diligently kept away from her, to keep her safe. But it was hurting her too, hearing her sister cry and wonder out loud why she didn't want to play anymore.

_Did I do something wrong?_

_Is that why you stopped loving me?_

Elsa wanted nothing more than to cry out, 'No, I _do_ love you. I'll always love you. You're the most important person in my life. That's why I'm doing this. I'm doing this because I love you so much," and hold her in her arms, squeeze her, and rock her. She wanted to do all this, to ease her sister's heart, but she couldn't, because then she would find out what Elsa had almost done. And Anna would fear her. Elsa could live with her sister hating her but never could she live with her sister fearing her. It would destroy her completely. This was better.

Safer

It still broke her heart hearing her sister think that she didn't love her. That particular day though Anna came knocking and she heard her, as clear as a bell, say through tears, "It's okay, Elsa. I don't blame you for not loving me anymore. But I still love you and maybe we can be friends again someday." She died a little inside.

And so, after that, she decided she needed to runaway. It would make everyone's lives easier. Her sister would stop crying and her parents wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. She would stop being a burden to them.

So that night, she packed a pair of clothing, dressing in black so she might blend in with the night and avoid being spotted by the guards. She even snuck into the kitchen and took a bit of food before scurrying back to her room. Carefully and quietly, she opened her window and slipped outside to the roof. As if her body knew what to do, a bridge of ice formed before her, connecting all the way to the farthest wall. She took a step forward and watched how the bridge melted behind her. Smiling despite herself, she ran and finished the last bit by creating a slide for her to get down from the wall. Her tiny feet hit stone and she glanced back only once. Her lower lip quivered before she steeled herself.

This was for the best.

Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her little bag and hurried across the bridge.

She'd never been to the town before. Maybe when she was smaller but she couldn't remember. It was quieter than she expected but she supposed it had to do with the fact that it was the middle of the night. There were some shops still open. She could see their orange glow through the window and smell the delicious food seeping into the air as she walked passed.

The warmth made her want to stop and explore.

But she couldn't linger. The town would be the first place they searched when they realized she was missing. She needed to put as much distance between her and the castle before then. So she weathered onwards, hugging herself as she neared her destination.

The forest.

It still looked tall and eerie from her memories of when her parents had rushed Anna to the trolls. The sight of it brought no fondness in her but still, this is where she must go. For the most part it was empty of people so if she made her home here, there would be less of a chance she could hurt someone if she lost control one day.

A map of her land appeared in her mind and she thought about the Northern Mountains where it was always cold and snowing. There would be good to live too. With her powers, she would fit right in. If she could find a way to get up there, maybe she would go. For now, the forest was easier.

She didn't know for how long she trudged in the thicket. She was covered in scratches and bruises by the time she tripped on a tree root and fell on the dirt. Blood began seeping from a knick on her head and her hands and knees were dirty and torn. She trembled.

A sob ripped through her and she finally realized that she was alone and hurt out here in the dark forest.

"Mama. Papa," she whispered. She hugged her knees to her chest and just sat there on the forest floor. Frost ferned around her, crawling up the tree by her back. She cried until she tired herself out. She cried until the sun came out and still she remained in the same position, scared and feeling hopeless.

"Whoa! And who might you be?"

Elsa gasped as she heard a voice and looked up to see a teenage boy stumble into view. He was carrying a staff (a Shepard perhaps). He looked like a villager but more wild. A forest villager then. He had brown hair and brown eyes with a pale complexion. He was smiling though, and moving towards her cautiously, as if she were a wounded animal. She flinched and tried to mold herself into the tree behind her.

"Easy there," he said, setting his staff down and holding his hands up in a non threatening way. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know why you're out here in the forest all alone. It's not safe you know."

"I know that," she couldn't help but say though a sniffle. She wasn't dumb.

He just chuckled. "Of course you knew that. But the question still remains," he gestured around him, "What are you doing all the way out here? Especially this close to winter?"

And what could she say? That she ran away? That she got lost? That she wanted to go home?

Instead, she started crying again.

"Aw, don't cry little snow bunny." She felt him reach out to gently pat her head.

"Mm-not a little bunny," she said as she curled into him and let him hold her. At that moment, she didn't fear freezing him. She didn't even think about it, too carried away with clutching his shirt in her hands. All she wanted was to be held and comforted.

He was warm and if he felt how oddly cold she was, he didn't say anything or try to move away. Instead, he settled himself more comfortably on the ground, sitting cross-legged, and holding her like if she were a babe.

"Shh," he said. "Everything will be alright. I'll get you out of here. No problem." He ran his fingers through her undone braid, causing her hair to settle around her shoulders in light blonde waves. "Everything's alright now."

They sat silently like that for a long time until Elsa's crying quieted down and completely disappeared. Soon, only the sound of the wakening forest reached their ears.

Blushing and embarrassed with her un-princess like behavior, Elsa immediately decided to untangle herself away from the boy. She crawled out of his lap and sat on her legs, wiping her runny nose with the sleeve of her dress, trying to be discrete about it. Luckily, he made a point of looking away, like if he knew she wanted some privacy to compose herself.

"I'm Jack," he said after a beat.

She looked up at him in wonder and said in a small voice, "Jack?"

He beamed and jumped to his feet. "Jackson Overland. At your service." He bowed at this and Elsa thought for a moment that he knew who she was and was mocking her, but the kind smile on his face immediately eased her mind.

She stood and curtsied. "Elsa."

"Elsa," he repeated. There was no indication that he recognized her name and she breathed a sigh of relief when he said, "Nice to meet you Elsa. Now," he said, kneeling in front of her so they were at eye level, "any plans on telling me your last name and where you live? So I can take you home."

She bit her lip and looked away. She twisted her fingers in her dress and said, "I-I don't want to go home yet."

He whistled. "Really? Even after all this scary stuff and you bleeding." She felt him touch the cut on her forehead and she shied away. He didn't take offense to her skittishness. "That looks like it burns. Don't you want your mom to take care of that?"

Yes. She wanted. But she'd done all this to spare her family. It would have all been for nothing if she were to go back now. No, she needed to carry on. And if this boy tried to stop her, well, then she'd just have to find a way to get away from him.

"Tell you want," he said after he'd taken a moment to think something over in his head. "How about I take you with me to my job?" He stood up and kicked up his staff in his hand. "I tend to my parent's sheep. I have some bandages and stuff there, since I can't go anywhere without getting a cut or two." He wiggled his toes. It was then that Elsa noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes. "How about it?" he said, reaching out a hand towards her.

Well, it was better than being lost in the woods. Hesitantly, she took his offered hand and let him lift her up to her feet. She brushed her dress, watching the dirt and leaves fall off, trying to look presentable only to gasp in surprise when he picked her up by her armpits and swing her up to her shoulders. She let out a shout and grabbed blindly at his hair trying to keep from falling. He grunted a bit in pain but then laughed.

"Hey, there, don't yank anything out."

"Put me down," she cried, afraid as she watched her fingers frosting over. Oh no, she was going to freeze him. She wanted to cry.

Jack just took a firm hold of her legs and said, "Not a chance. This is faster. Besides, I do this all the time with my sister."

The frost receded as she processed what he said. "Sister?"

"Yup. She loves it when I give her piggyback rides."

"Piggyback rides?" she parroted. She looked down at the ground which looked so far away and then she lifted her head to look in front of her. From this position, she could see a lot more than when she was on her own two feet. The world looked different. Better. Is this what this was? Was this…fun?

"What?" he tried to crane his head to look at her but couldn't and huffed in annoyance as he said, "Don't tell me no one's ever given you a piggyback ride."

"Well…"

"That's unacceptable. Here, hold on tight and keep your eyes open."

Before she could stop him, he started running. He was fast and he kept jumping, making for a bumpy ride. He was making horse noises and the scream that had been about to erupt from her throat turned into a giggle. All thoughts of fear scattered as giddiness surged within her. The wind whipped at her face, causing her hair to fly all over the place and before she knew it, she was laughing so hard, tears were coming out of her eyes.

"Jack! Jack! Stop. I can't." She started giggling all over again and squealed in joy as they broke through the forest, revealing to her the beautiful view of an unblemished meadow, littered with many colorful flowers and hundreds of sheep.

She shielded her eyes from the sun which now hung high overhead. Off in the distance, she could make out a house. She pointed. "Is that where you live?"

He looked and shook his head. "Naw, that's just a storage house. I live further in, that way." He pointed west. "Next to a pond."

She settled on his shoulders, wrapping her arms lightly around his neck and resting her chin on his hair. "That sounds nice."

"It is." He started making his way to a large rock overlooking the meadow. "It's just me, my parents and my sister. There's a small village of about fifty people not two miles where I live but everything around us is just forest."

"Village? Not Arendelle?" she asked.

"Sort of. It's more of a farming community. But still the King and Queen are our King and Queen, so no change there."

Interesting, Elsa had never thought about all the other smaller villages in her kingdom. The town at the base of her castle seemed so big already.

"Here we are," he said, panting a bit as he settled on the rock. Gently, he helped Elsa off his shoulders and she took a seat next to him. She breathed in the fresh air and turned to give him a shy smile. But he was already rummaging around a bag that he hadn't had before.

"Ahah!" he said and pulled out some water and cloth. "You don't mind sitting still for me while I clean you up a bit, right?"

She shook her head and sat perfectly still as he dipped the cloth in water and started running it around her face. She hissed a bit in pain but he was being to gentle. Were all the people like him? Would he still be so nice to her if she knew what she was capable of? Maybe not.

Still, she stared at his face as he concentrated in cleaning her scratches. He looked so serious, a look she felt didn't fit on his face. He was made for smiles and laughter, even she could tell that and she'd only known him for an hour.

"There," he said, scooting back to inspect his work. He smiled in satisfaction and he put the stuff away while at the same time, he reached for his staff. "Come on. Want to help me tend to the sheep?" At her hesitant glance, he laughed, warm and inviting and kind. "Don't worry; you're completely safe with me."

Elsa had never tended to sheep before and she didn't know what tending to sheep entailed. But she wanted to try, especially when she looked into Jack's playful and twinkling eyes. She found herself smiling without knowing why.

"Sure," she said, unfurling her legs from her seated position. She watched him slide down the rock and hold out his arms for her to jump into them. She jumped; a flutter of joy in her heart as he caught her and twirled her around, getting another peal of laughter from her, before setting her on her feet.

The rest of the day was spent chasing wayward sheep, watching Jack make funny faces, and laughing at his funny antics. By the time the sun started setting, Elsa was exhausted. She hadn't slept last night and today's activity had tired her out beyond her normal limits. It was in a faint daze that she felt Jack pick her up and cradle her in his arms. She protested for all of a second until, ultimately, warmth prevailed and she curled into him, clutching at his brown cloak. He hummed a melody that soothed her into half sleep. It was almost a dream, watching the tree branches with the night sky as the background, hearing the bustling of voices, the cry of someone familiar, being jostled a bit as, for a moment, the warmth left her.

She cried out faintly only to be enveloped in familiar soft arms and she melted in contentment as a voice she new very well washed over her.

Mother

And then she finally fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up the next morning, her parents were sitting next to her bed and after embracing her and crying over her, they scolded her gently for worrying them and they made her promise never to leave again.

She had promised.

Then she had asked about Jack. Her parents had traded looks and her father began to narrate the encounter.

They told her that the boy had arrived some time before midnight, carrying her in his arms. The royal guards had immediately arrested him but he refused to relinquish his hold on her until the Queen was brought and the guards, fearful of injuring Elsa, had relented. It was only when the boy saw the King and Queen that he allowed for them to take Elsa out of his arms.

After assuring himself that his daughter was safe, the King had turned to Jack and had demanded an explanation and the boy had told him how he had found her wandering the woods all alone and scared. He'd tended to injuries which had all been superficial he assured and he said how he would have brought her sooner but that he had been afraid she would runaway again. So he'd waited until she fell asleep.

The King and Queen thanked him and had offered him gold for bringing back their daughter, safe and sound, but he'd politely refused and had asked them instead if he could go back to his family.

"I might have left the sheep unguarded," he had said and smiled.

Elsa listened to all of this in wonder.

So in the end, it had turned out that Jack hadn't been as oblivious as she'd thought. She'd never tricked him. He'd tricked her. He had known, all along, who she was but not wanting to push her he had played along with her charade until she had passed out from fatigue. She felt she should be insulted, angry even, that he'd tricked her into falling asleep so he could carry her back without her knowing but…

That day had been the most fun she'd had since she'd isolated herself from her sister. And she could forgive him anything just for that.

Two weeks passed, winter came, and while she studied and did her duties as a princess, she could never stop her mind from wandering back to Jack until one day she couldn't help but ask her father to find Jack for her and bring him to the castle, so she could see him again.

Her father had looked into her hopeful and pleading eyes and couldn't have denied her this request even if he'd tried.

So he'd sent some of his men to search for this 'Jack,' going by what Elsa new of the small village he'd mentioned.

She waited excited all day, for once not letting her sadness and fear bring her down. She even said hi to Anna when they passed on the hall. Her sister had squealed and blushed, and dashed around the castle screaming in happiness about Elsa was finally talking to her again.

Elsa had smiled endearingly at her sister.

The soldiers came back in the evening and Elsa watched raptly from her window, but no matter how much she strained her eyes, she couldn't see the familiar bob of chocolate brown hair and the hooked Shepard's staff.

Her parents came in thirty minutes later. It was in their eyes. Something was wrong. She shrank into herself, snowflakes beginning to fall as she feared the worst.

"Elsa. Dear," her mother started, walking towards her with her arms outstretched. Even with Elsa shying away, her mother enveloped her in a tight hug. "We're so sorry."

"What? What happened? Where is he?" she asked, her eyes darting towards her father for an explanation.

Her father shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry darling but, it seems your friend, he died, not a week after he brought you back."

Tears fell from her eyes as she listened to her father tell her the story.

"According to the villagers, he was skating with his sister out on the pond and the ice began cracking beneath their feet. The boy, he was incredibly brave, he managed to get his sister away but," at this point her father kneeled and took her little gloved hands in his even as she stood frozen in fear. "He fell in. I'm sorry darling, he's not coming back."

_No_.

The snow that had steadily been falling heavier around them, stood still and suspended in space. Her parents gasped and looked on in wonder at the display of her power.

"No, no, no," she repeated. Her vision blurred and she covered her eyes.

Jack had been her first experience with death. Not eight years later, her second would be her parents.

She felt too much those first few days: thinking about him, remembering those last few hours where had had made her laugh so much. It caused more accidents than she could count. In order to rein her emotions in, she let her heart go numb whenever feelings of Jack came up. At the time, she'd thought it best. As the years started slipping by his face became blurry until she could barely remember him. And she let this happen with a twinge of pain. It hurt less to just forget.

Conceal, don't feel.

It's what got her through every day.

It served her well up until the night of her coronation.

**oOo**

She woke up with a gasp, as if she had been a woman drowning, with the image of his face fresh on her mind and immediately she got up and made her way to the room that housed his half-formed sculpture. She walked towards him as if in a trance. Already, she could picture how he would look.

The detail of his nose, the shape of his eyes, his ears, they were all there. And she wished them on the faceless stature with a wave of her hand. In a matter of minutes there he stood, just like in her childhood.

Jack.

Jack…

His presence soothed her mind. Despite the fact that he was made out of ice, it almost felt like he was there, comforting her again like he had when she'd been a little girl, lost and scared in the forest.

She spent those last hours next to him, just talking to him: telling him about her fears, about her hopes and dreams, about her never ending sadness. Always, she would look into his eyes, searching for an answer.

Nothing.

It didn't surprise her. No one had answered her when she'd been a child and she'd tried to wish away her powers, no one answered her when she'd prayed for her parent's safe return. Even now, no one was answering her about how she could possibly end the eternal winter she'd cursed her kingdom to.

She was alone. Always alone.

Conceal, don't feel.

She wiped away a couple of frozen tears from her face and gazed up at Jack. He was always smiling in her memory.

Now that she looked upon him as an adult, she realized he had been little more than a child himself when he'd found her. He couldn't be older than her sister, she decided. If she stood next to him, they were about the same height, so he wasn't a very tall boy. Still, she thought he was perfect yet different from how she remembered him. He'd seemed so big and strong when she'd been a child.

"I wish you hadn't died," she whispered as she reached and held his icy hand.

**oOo**

After Jack's death, she refused to skate again, despite the fact that she loved to skate. She also avoided lakes. Even pictures of lakes. If she was flipping through a book and she spotted one, she would close the book and refuse to read any further. Just like her magic wasn't good for play. Never again.

It was dangerous.

**oOo**

Not long after, her castle was attacked. She almost committed a monstrosity and then she'd been knocked out by the falling crystal chandelier. She woke up in dark cell, chained and imprisoned. The moments after blurred together into one chaotic stream: from her escaping, from her wandering in the blizzard of her own creation, to her hearing that she'd killed her sister, to her sister freezing solid in front of her. She did not get her bearings back until Anna was warm and soft beneath her arms and the words 'I love you' left her lips.

Suddenly, everything seemed right with the world. Everything, her fear, her stress, her sadness, just seemed to melt away, leaving behind a joy she had never experienced before. Her sister was _alive_. She was alive and smiling at her, unafraid, loving, and trusting. To think, that only a moment ago, she'd thought she'd lost her forever.

The guilt. The regret had almost killed her in that moment. There were so many things she needed to tell her, so many lost moments she needed to make up. Why had she ever let her sister go? How could this have ever been the best idea? How could she think she could live with herself for leaving all these things unsaid between them?

_No more_, she thought as she smiled at her sister.

Because love…love was everything and how could she have possibly tried to shut this emotion out?

As she lifted her arms to the sky, watching as the snow floating away and dispersing into the air, she thought about Jack and how that time long ago, she'd innocently loved him, as only a child could, for bringing some happiness into her lonely life.

It had been pure and sincere.

And then he'd died and it had hurt.

She couldn't understand and it was at that moment that she'd subconsciously come to the decision that loving someone only brought pain and sadness. And she feared to feel that way again. She'd felt it for Anna, she'd felt it for her parents, and she'd come to realize it under the innocent but childish love she'd felt for Jack.

She had been wrong.

**oOo**

She did not return to her ice palace until everything had settled down in her kingdom and by then, a month had gone by. But she'd been planning to visit for a while now and she made sure to leave everything in good hands.

"Are you sure?" Anna had asked, biting her lip as she twiddled her thumb. "I mean, I'm not sure I'd be able to make a wise and fair decision if anything were to come up. Like if it was something important. You were always the better decision maker. And diplomat. And princess overall." She laughed nervously and Elsa just calmed her down by resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, Anna. You'll do fine." She hugged her. "And besides, if you have any questions or doubts, just speak to Kai or Gerda. They were very helpful to me when I was running the kingdom before my official coronation."

Anna smiled before it slowly slipped away and she bit her lip again only to throw herself into Elsa's arms. "Be back soon. And be safe."

"Of course."

They all waved at her as she departed. People shouted well wishes and she waved back, smiling. These were her people. Behind her, Anna stood with Kristoff, holding hand. That was her family.

They would be waiting for her when she came back.

When she reached the Northern Mountain and stood at the base of her ice palace, she noticed with something like an ache that nothing had changed. Her eyes fluttered across the bridge. Broken. She hadn't realized. With a wave of her hand she fixed it and slowly made her way up. The doors opened as she neared and the grand echo of the palace sent a shiver down her soul.

Despite the fact that she knew no one lived here, it felt…alive. She made her way to her throne room first where the battle had taken place. It surprised her to see, instead of the broken ice, pristine and rebuilt structures. She looked around and saw Marshmallow by the throne. The giant creature greeted her and she smiled gently at him.

"Hello." She noticed that he was wearing her little crown and it only made her eyes water. She'd created him as a means to protect her castle and here he stood, still protecting it. But, he was his own person.

It's what prompted her to say, "You know, you could go anywhere. You could come and live in Arendelle. With me and my sister. You don't have to be alone."

"That's okay. I like it here. And I'm not alone. The ice castle is my friend."

Elsa looked around and realized that, perhaps, that's what she'd been feeling. The palace itself was alive and humming with magic.

"Alright."

Next, after parting from Marshmallow, she made her way to the frosty room that housed Jack.

He still stood there, unchanged and beautiful.

"Hello, Jack," she said. She approached him, with her heart open, her eyes wide. She stood next to him, finding support by clenching his icy hand. "It's been a while." She reached out with one hand and caressed his face: his smooth cheek, the long crystallized lashes. She was silent for a long time before she cleared her throat and clasped her hands together tightly.

"I never did say think you, for all those years ago when you found me and took care of me."

Silence. She wanted to say the words, but…she wasn't ready yet.

"You know," she said with a shy smile after another minute of silence, "I have one last thing to confess. When I was little and you asked me to help look after your sheep and you laughed," She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I really wanted to kiss your nose." She pulled back with a soft smile.

Pausing, she contemplated him again. "I guess now I can get my wish."

She reached out with both hands, holding his face in hers, and gently kissed him on the nose.

"Thank you," she whispered as she pulled back.

Oh. Her eyes were blurry but this time, she didn't wipe away the tears. She just smiled through them. Anna, her parents, Jack, her people, even Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. Her heart was so open, it was overflowing.

She straightened up and cast Jack one last glance. "I love you," she said, before turning her back to make her way back to her horse that was waiting just outside the palace to take her back home. To the people that loved her.

She was halfway through the door when she heard an exhale. It seemed to echo across the room and stop her to her core. Surprised, she turned around and watched with fascination as the statue of Jack began to fade away from ice into…

"Jack," she breathed. Jack was – he was – he was _alive_.

She walked back, eyes never leaving his face. She took in the snow white skin, the silver hair, and when he shuddered, gasping for breath, she saw that he moved the same. When the click of her heels reached his ears, he turned and their eyes locked.

Blue. Not brown but the twinkle was the same. Exactly the same.

"Jack," she said again, almost not believing it. This was too good to be true. How could this happen? Her voice quivered as she said, "Is that you?"

He looked at her and then opened his mouth. "Jack," he said, testing the name in his mouth. "Jack." He looked down at his hands, at the staff he was clutching and his clothes. He wiggled his toes, taking notice of the fact that he wasn't wearing shoes. He turned back to her. "Is-is that my name? Jack?"

Elsa's heart stuttered for a moment. "What do you mean?" she tried, hoping it wasn't true. Hoping it wasn't what she thought. But even as she denied it she knew, knew it couldn't be her Jack. _Her_ Jack died, long ago in a lake protecting his sister. This was another Jack. One made of ice and snow.

One she'd brought to life somehow.

His eyebrows furrowed and he took a hesitant step towards her. "You called me Jack. Is that…my name?" He shook his head, reaching to rub his temple. "I-I don't remember…anything." His frown deepened and he turned to stare at her again, wide-eyed, lost. "Who are you?"

That look. She'd seen it before. The look of someone lost and alone. She couldn't stand to see it on Jack's face. He was made for laughing and smiling. Before she could stop herself, she rushed over and took him in her arms.

"Hey!" he protested but only faintly. In moments he'd relaxed in her arms and only when she felt him reach to gently pat her back did she pull away. She couldn't stop smiling at the sight of him. The same hug. Less warm perhaps, but no less comforting. Safe.

He gave her weary look as he waited for her to answer his question.

"My name's Queen Elsa of Arendelle. And you," she ran her hand through his silver hair, "you're Jack. Frost," she added softly as flakes of ice fell from his hair and coated her fingers.

He started back, eyes wide as he took her in from head to toe. "Queen?" he said and then he did something Elsa hadn't known she'd been yearning for. He smiled. "And what am I to you?"

Without hesitating Elsa said, "You are someone I love dearly." He looked into her eyes, surprised and uncertain at this declaration. "Come," she said gently. Without waiting for his reply, she took his hand in hers and guided him through her ice palace.

She watched him gawk in open wonder. "Wow," he said as he craned his neck back to take in the ceiling and pillars. "This is amazing." He hurried so he could walk next to her. "Where are we going?"

"Home," she said.

"Oh. Where is home?"

"With my sister and my people."

"Is that my home too?"

"Of course."

And so Elsa returned to Arendelle with a beautiful and pale boy who smiled and laughed and brought joy wherever he went.

Anna loved him as soon as she met him and they instantly became fast friends. Kristoff took longer to warm up to him but eventually Jack won him over.

It came as no surprise to Elsa that he inadvertently inherited some of her magical powers, much to Jack's joy and amusement. He was an unstoppable force once he learned to fly (she hadn't taught him that). At least it made for some interesting snowball fights.

It would be years before Elsa and Jack fell in love but when it happened, no one was surprised.

**The End**

**Final thoughts: I'm kind of 'meh' about the ending. Maybe someday I'll write about the 'after' I have hinted at in the end. I have some ideas (such as the fact that Jack's family isn't dead and, well, he'll want to see them despite the fact that he isn't **_**their**_** Jack). Maybe I'll even write a fic about older Elsa and Jack and how they slowly fall in love. Who knows, anything is possible.**

**Leave a review and if you want to give some feedback that is along the lines of constructive criticism that would be fabulous. If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.**

**Also, incase anyone asks, here are the ages by the end of the tale (everyone in canon except Jack).**

**Elsa – 21**

**Jack – 18 (he was eighteen when he died so technically he should be 29)**

**Anna – 18 **

**Kristoff – 21**

**Ciao ~ until next time.**


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